New Auckland Mayor Phil Goff wants to make an early start on a $1 billion stadium on railway land alongside Vector Arena.

(ed: at first glance this looks like an idea with legs..)

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Goff said he does not want to spend an estimated $250 million on upgrading Eden Park over the next 15 years and believes the spiritual home of rugby and cricket could be sold for as much as $300m.

Goff – who has only been in the mayoral job for two weeks – stressed the council did not have up to $1b to invest in a new stadium right now but if the council did not start planning it would miss the boat.

The mayor said private investment would be required and he hoped the Government might also provide some funding towards the project.

There was only one suitable site left in Auckland which could be home to a long-mooted CBD stadium Goff said – and that was the railway land next to Vector Arena close to the city’s main rail bus and ferry and motorway links.